Method of enhancing inking in offset presses

Abstract

Offset, rotary newspaper printing press systems, particularly a method of enhancing inking of the plate cylinder. The method includes defining a plurality of ink repository cells within the surface of an inking cylinder, immersing the repository cells within an ink reservoir, scraping excess ink from the surface of the inking cylinder and rotating the inking cylinder and ink-filled cells against the surfaces of a pair of form rollers, contacting the plate cylinder. Modifications of invention include rotating the watering cylinders against one of the form rollers of the pair or rotating the watering cylinder against a form cylinder which independently controls the plate cylinder.

We claim: 
     
       1. Method of enhancing high viscosity inking in a rotary newspaper web offset printing press system of the type applying high viscosity ink to both sides of the web; providing a press system with dual printing units, one on each side of the web, each printing unit including a blanket cylinder, a plate cylinder contacting said blanket cylinder, and an inking and dampener component contacting said plate cylinder, each component having an ink reservoir with an inking cylinder rotatably positioned therein, a pair of form rollers rotatably contacting said inking cylinder and a water reservoir with a watering cylinder rotating positioned therein so as to contact one of said form rollers; said plate cylinder independently contacting said pair of form rollers; A. Defining a plurality of repository cells each conformed as a truncated pyramid within the surface of each inking cylinder and each watering cylinder, such that there are 200-360 cells per linear inch;   B. Immersing said inking cylinder repository cells by rotating each said inking cylinder within its ink reservoir where the ink has a hydrocarbon base and a viscosity in the range 3,500-5,000 centipoises and immersing said watering cylinder in said water reservoir by means of a spray dampener;   C. Reverse angle scraping of excess ink from the surface of each said inking cylinder;   D. Further rotating said inking cylinder and inking cylinder repository cells against the surfaces of said pair of form rollers and rotating said watering cylinder against one of pair of form rollers;   E. Rotating each said form roller against the surface of said plate cylinder, printing by rotating said blanket cylinders against opposite sides of a newspaper web moving therebetween such that the speed of rotating said inking cylinder, plate cylinder and blanket cylinder is at speed of printing up to 2,500 lineal feet per minute;   F. Sequentially immersing each inking cylinder and watering cylinder within said reservoirs.